Daily encouragement as you follow His path

These days, I am craving for some ME time. I want twenty-four hours of uninterrupted solitude. I want to hear nothing but silence. No phone ringing and no children singing their unending chorus of “Mom!” Even Jesus needed to get away from it all. On top of this need for solo space is the guilt I feel for wanting to temporarily abandon my life. I know that research says we are better people when take the time to rejuvenate our batteries. So, I resign to take a micromini staycation in my bathtub. Anybody know if they still sell Calgon?

Stop being so hard on other people! People do the best they can based on where they are on their own journey. Cut them the same slack you want others to cut you. Are you perfect? No. Do you want others to judge you? No. Grant them the same understanding. Life is an uphill battle regardless of your income level, intelligence level, or spiritual level. Make sure you are offering a hand up and not knocking anybody down.

P.S. It’s not up to you to determine who is worthy of this consideration. Everyone qualifies for this break!

Today is TAX DAY! Hope you have already filed.

Tomorrow, I will be posting over at (in)courage. Please stop by to read my guest post. Click on the GUESTS tab when you get there!

If you could fix whatever you are worried about, you would have fixed it by now. Hand it over to the One who loves you more than anyone else and knows what is best for you. Trust in His infinite wisdom and divine power. You might be in “good hands with Allstate”, but you’re in the best hands with God.

Last night, I was trying to inject some peace into my household by having “church” with my two children. They bicker constantly and I end each day in a fatigued heap after playing referee and judge all day. I really want them to understand why this isn’t the way to behave. So far, no explanation has been effective enough to deter the bouts. But, I’m still praying about it.

During “church”, I asked my seven-year-old son if he had any “go to” Bible verses for when he felt angry and upset. When he answered no, Psalm 23:1 popped into my head. I heard that verse quoted often by my aunt as a child and although I could repeat it readily, I really didn’t know what it meant.

The magic of that verse, like so many others, is that you can adapt it to fit a myriad of situations. My children and I talked about what a shepherd’s job was and many definitions of want. At the end of the discussion, I felt more peaceful and hopefully have armed my two young children with a spiritual weapon that will comfort and protect them whenever they need it.

Upon further reflection, I wondered why I hardly ever pull this verse out of my spiritual arsenal when I am under attack. Maybe I subconsciously filed this Scripture away because I considered it to be lesser due to its popularity. Don’t most people know this one? But, it’s the simplicity that makes it so powerful. It covers a multitude of situations and is easily remembered. Why does what is best have to be complicated? I guess that’s my weird, personal rule. But, in this case, simple is best and it works everytime.